Grammarly is everywhere — browser extensions, Word plugins, mobile apps. But at $30/month for Premium (or even $144/year for the discounted rate), many users are wondering if there are good free alternatives in 2026.
Quick Answer: What's the Best Free Grammarly Alternative?
For most users, **LanguageTool** (free) combined with **ChatGPT's free tier** gives you everything Grammarly Premium costs $360/year for. You get grammar checking, style suggestions, tone adjustments, and even plagiarism detection — all without paying a cent.
All Grammarly Alternatives Compared
#1 LanguageTool – Best Free Grammar Checker
LanguageTool is an open-source grammar checker that supports 30+ languages. It catches many of the same errors as Grammarly, and its free version is surprisingly generous.
💡 Pro Tip:Install the LanguageTool browser extension AND the desktop app for the best experience. The combination covers email, documents, and web forms seamlessly.
All Grammarly Premium Alternatives Compared
| Alternative Tool | Price | Rating | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
LanguageTool⭐ Best Pick ✅ Free forever | Free - $5.90/mo | ★★★★★ | Privacy-conscious users and non-English writers |
Hemingway Editor | Free - $19.99 | ★★★★ | Writers wanting to improve readability |
Wordtune | Free - $13.99/mo | ★★★★☆ | Users who rewrite more than they write fresh |
ProWritingAid | $10-30/mo | ★★★★☆ | Serious authors and fiction writers |
Ginger Software | Free - $19.99/mo | ★★★☆ | Multilingual writers needing translation + grammar |
Detailed Review: Each Alternative
LanguageTool⭐ Editor's Choice✅ Free
- • Open source and privacy-focused
- • 30+ languages supported
- • Generous free version
- • Works offline
- • UI less polished than Grammarly
- • Style suggestions weaker than premium
Hemingway Editor
- • One-time purchase option
- • Excellent for readability
- • Forces clearer writing style
- • No real-time checking
- • Only English
- • No grammar correction (style only)
Wordtune
- • Great rewriting capabilities
- • Tone adjustment works well
- • Integrates with Google Docs
- • Grammar checking is secondary
- • Premium needed for full features
ProWritingAid
- • Comprehensive writing analysis
- • 20+ reports on your text
- • Integrates with Scrivener/Final Draft
- • Expensive annual plan
- • Interface feels dated
- • Slow on long documents
Ginger Software
- • Sentence rephrasing feature
- • Translation to 60+ languages
- • Free version decent
- • Grammar accuracy lower than competitors
- • Translation quality inconsistent
Final Verdict: Which Grammarly Premium Alternative Should You Choose?
After testing all the alternatives, LanguageTool + ChatGPT comes out on top for most users.
It offers the best balance of features, ease of use, and price at Free - $5/mo. By switching from Grammarly Premium, you could save up to $300+/year per year — money better spent growing your business or enjoying life.